Five Canadian business stories to watch this week

Looking for the next rate signal

Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz speaks at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University on Tuesday. Deputy Governor Timothy Lane warned Thursday of serious consequences related to steel and aluminum tariffs, despite reassuring trade news out of the United States, as he sent signals the bank's in no rush to raise interest rates.

Unrest in the oil patch

Tim McMillan, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers speaks to the Canadian Club of Calgary on Monday. McMillan has been raising the alarm over regulatory confusion in the energy sector, which has delayed pipeline projects such as the Trans Mountain expansion and contributed to bottlenecks and steeper-than-usual discounts on Canadian oilsands crude.

Looking to turn the page

Empire Company Ltd., parent of grocer Sobeys, discusses fourth-quarter and year-end results on Wednesday. The Sobeys brand has had a run of less-than-stellar publicity, including allegations in December that it was part of a nation-wide bread price-fixing conspiracy, and a last-minute break with a series of "wellness"' expositions in February that included a man convicted in the death of his toddler.

Quebecor results

Quebecor Inc. discusses fourth-quarter and year-end results on Wednesday. The Montreal-based media conglomerate filed a motion in Quebec Superior Court in February in stop a decree that gives $10 million in repayable financial assistance to rival Groupe Capitales Medias, which Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau calls "blatant favouritism" on behalf of the government.

The month in manufacturing

Statistics Canada releases the monthly survey of manufacturing for January on Friday. Manufacturing sales for December were down 0.3 per cent from a revised record high for November and January figures are expected to be buffeted by the contrary forces of U.S. tax reform and protectionist sentiment from Donald Trump's White House.